Patriot (Hades Abyss MC 6) Read online

  “Are you trying to piss off Patriot? Stop flirting with Riley and take your ass home.”

  My back straightened and I slowly turned my head to look at him. “I’m not here to flirt with Riley, or anyone else.”

  “Look around you, MaryAnne. What the fuck do you think women come here to do? Because it’s not sit at the fucking bar drinking whatever the hell Riley gave you.”

  “It’s a Shirley Temple,” I said. At least, I thought that’s what he’d made. I’d never looked up how you actually made one, but I’d read a book where the heroine only drank Shirley Temples.

  “Girl, unless you want to be bent over a table and fucked, you need to leave.”

  I felt the blood drain from my face. A buzzing sound filled my ears and my hand shook, causing my drink to slosh all over the bar top. Riley cursed and leapt over it, heading into the crowd as darkness crept along the edges of my vision. I couldn’t breathe. Everything started spinning, and I felt myself sway on the stool. It could have been seconds or minutes that passed. Time had no meaning.

  I heard a door slam into the wall and everything around me went silent.

  “What the fuck did you do?” Patriot roared.

  I felt strong arms close around me and I cried out, tensing and clawing at whoever had grabbed me. Lips pressed close to my ear and the scent of leather and motor oil filled my nose, calming me a little.

  “Easy, Little Bit. I’ve got you,” Patriot said, his voice soft and low. “No one’s going to hurt you.”

  “Fuck, man. I was only trying to get her to leave. I knew you’d be pissed to find her here,” Smoke said. “She wouldn’t listen to reason so I tried to scare her enough to send her running home.”

  “She was having a Goddamn panic attack. What did you say to her?” Patriot demanded.

  “Nothing! Christ, I told her to look around, that women only came here for one reason. I knew she wasn’t up for that. Hell, we all know it,” Smoke said.

  My heartrate slowed and I sucked in a lungful of air, then another. I leaned against Patriot as the world came into better focus and looked around. Riley was heading our way with Pretty Boy on his heels.

  “I didn’t know where you were,” Riley said. “I went to the office and found Pretty Boy. The second she looked like she was going to pass out, I knew she needed to get out of here, but I didn’t dare reach for her.”

  “And then I texted you because I knew you’d want to be here,” Pretty Boy said.

  Patriot turned me to face him and tipped my chin up. “What happened, Little Bit?”

  “Nothing. I’m fine.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “You’re not fucking fine. What did he say to you?”

  Smoke started blustering but a quick glare from Patriot and Pretty Boy shut him up.

  “He said staying meant being bent over a table and fucked.” Saying the words made my hands clench and my stomach drop. I’d thought I’d healed, but maybe I was still every bit as broken as when Patriot had brought me here.

  Patriot moved so fast, he was a blur as he spun away and landed a punch right across Smoke’s jaw. Except he didn’t stop. He went after him like a rabid beast. Pretty Boy, Brick, and Cache all tried to pull him off. It was like someone had flipped a switch inside him, and he wasn’t going to stop until he’d made Smoke bleed all over the floors.

  “Don’t fucking talk to her again,” Patriot said. “Don’t even look at her.”

  Smoke worked his jaw back and forth, then spat blood on the floor. “Fine. But her ass has no business in the clubhouse on a night like this and you damn well know it. I was only trying to get her to fucking leave.”

  “She was sitting at the bar, that’s it,” Riley said in a subdued tone.

  “I thought you were here,” I said looking at Patriot. “I shouldn’t have come. I thought… I thought I’d healed enough that I could handle walking in here, having a drink and… I don’t know. But I was wrong. I’m not healed. I’m still broken.”

  A tear slipped down my cheek, then another.

  Patriot wrapped his arms around me again. “No, you’re not broken. You’ve come so far, MaryAnne. If you’d wanted to come to a party, even long enough to have a drink, you should have told me. I’d have brought you. We could have sat at a table or the bar together.”

  My cheeks warmed and I looked away, finding a spot on the wall rather fascinating. “You don’t come here to babysit me.”

  Pretty Boy snorted. “He doesn’t come here at all.”

  My gaze shot to him. “What?”

  I felt Patriot tense, his arms tightened even more. It was a little like being hugged by a boa constrictor, except I knew he wasn’t going to literally squeeze me to death. He didn’t come to the clubhouse anymore? I’d thought the nights he left he’d come here to party, to be with the women I knew hung out with the club. If he hadn’t been here all those times, then where had he gone?

  Oh. My heart sank. It wasn’t that he’d been leaving to party. He’d wanted time to himself. I’d invaded his house, a constant unwanted presence. He couldn’t even be alone in his own home. I knew Sean didn’t want me staying with him, but maybe I could figure something else out. I didn’t have a job or money to rent a place in town, and I really didn’t want to leave the compound.

  “Whatever thought crossed your mind right now is probably the wrong conclusion,” Pretty Boy said. “You look like someone killed your dog.”

  “Come on, Little Bit. Let’s get you home,” Patriot said, carrying me out of the clubhouse. I glanced at the door that still stood open and winced when I realized he’d slammed it so hard into the wall it had cracked the drywall.

  I’d walked to the clubhouse since I didn’t drive, and I’d planned to walk back. Patriot stopped at his bike, which I now realized hadn’t been in the line of motorcycles in front of the clubhouse earlier. He’d left it in the middle of the lot when he’d come in to save me.

  Patriot eased me down his body and swung his leg over the seat. “Get on, Little Bit.”

  I got onto the bike and placed my hands at his sides, gripping his leather cut. Patriot pried my fingers loose and pulled my arms around his waist until my hands settled over his belt buckle. My heart took off at a gallop and a weird feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. He took his time getting to the house, the motorcycle prowling the street at a near crawl. I wasn’t sure if he was worried I’d been drinking and would fall off, or something was on his mind. Maybe he wasn’t ready to go back home?

  He pulled into the driveway and up under the carport. I got off the bike and backed up. When he shut off the engine, I felt like I should say something. He’d clearly had plans tonight, even if they hadn’t included the party at the clubhouse. Didn’t mean he hadn’t been on a date. Oh, God. Was he seeing someone? Pain pierced me at the thought.

  “You don’t have to stay,” I said. “I won’t leave again.”

  At least, not until I’d packed and figured out where I was going. It was clear I was cramping his style and he needed some space. I backed up another step and kept going until I hit the side door. Patriot watched me, his gaze intent. I reached behind me for the knob and twisted it, letting myself into the house.

  I’d no sooner shut the door than it flew open again. I whirled, my hand at my throat and pulse racing as I stared at him. Was he mad at me? Would he hurt me? He never had before, but I knew even the nicest looking man could have evil inside him.

  “We need to have a talk, Little Bit,” he said.

  A small, gray puff ball raced into the room. Patriot hadn’t named the little thing yet, but he’d rescued the kitten three weeks ago and now it seldom left his side. I’d noticed he had a tendency to bring home strays. Like me.

  “If you needed your space, all you had to do was say so. I’ll figure something out,” I said.

  He stalked forward, slamming the door shut behind him with a violent shove. I trembled, my feet rooted to the floor. It felt like my heart might pound out of my chest. He kept coming unti
l his body pressed against mine. I took a step back, then another. He followed, matching my pace, until he’d backed me to the kitchen counter. He braced his arms on either side of me, leaning in close.

  “Why the fuck do you think I want you out of this house?” he asked, his tone low and even with a hint of steel. “What have I ever done to make you think you’re not welcome here?”

  I licked my suddenly dry lips and forced myself to hold his gaze. “You needed time away from the house. Away from me. You shouldn’t have to leave your home for some peace and quiet.”

  He closed his eyes, his nostrils flaring as he exhaled harshly. “Fuck.”

  The little kitten pawed at my feet and ankles before bounding around Patriot and then running from the room. I heard a bark and knew another of his strays hadn’t liked being disturbed. For such a tough guy, he had a gentle touch when it came to injured animals. And people.

  “I need a few days and I’ll find a place to stay.”

  His eyes opened and he leaned in closer until his nose brushed against mine. My eyes nearly crossed, trying to hold his gaze. Before I knew what he was doing, his lips slammed against mine, his hand going to my hair. He grabbed a handful and held me still as he ravaged my mouth. I gripped the sides of his cut, holding on in case my legs gave out. It was my first real kiss, and it felt like I was floating, and burning at the same time.

  He drew back, chest heaving, as he stared at me. My cheeks felt like they were on fire and my lips tingled. With anyone else, I’d have been terrified. But this was Patriot, the man who’d saved me, given me a place to live, taken care of me. And he’d kissed me.

  “Fuck,” he muttered again. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

  He started to pull away, but I gripped him tighter and held on. My brain was foggy, and I wasn’t sure I could speak yet. But I knew I didn’t want him to go. I wasn’t upset he’d kissed me. It was wonderful. He was wonderful.

  “MaryAnne, I’m sorry. After everything you’ve been through, you don’t need me taking advantage. Christ! I’m twelve years older than you.” He ran a hand down his face and shook his head.

  “Patriot, I didn’t push you away, did I?”

  “What are you saying, Little Bit?” he asked.

  I felt my cheeks get warmer. “I liked it. I trust you, Patriot. There’s no one else I’d want to kiss me.”

  “Ronan. Call me Ronan.” He cupped my cheek. “If anyone should use my name, it’s you. Maybe I’m a sick bastard for feeling this way, but there’s always been something between us, a pull that I couldn’t ignore anymore.”

  “Then don’t. You said I’m not broken, so don’t treat me like I am.”

  He pressed his lips to my forehead. “You deserve better than me, Little Bit.”

  “Why do you call me that?” I asked. “I’m not a child.”

  A smile ghosted across his lips. “It’s not because of your age. You’re a tiny little slip of a woman and seemed more like a phantom when I brought you here. Like a wisp.”

  “Wisp?” I asked.

  “Will-o’-the-wisp. Little specters that roamed bogs and marshes. They appeared like little flickering flames. You reminded me of one. Here yet not, but I could see your fire hadn’t burned out completely.”

  I smiled a little. “I can live with that.”

  Archimedes, a coon hound mix, barked as he chased the kitten. His nails scratched the floor as he raced by us. Patriot didn’t even bat an eye at the chaos. The animals ran right back out and I heard a crash in the living room. Still he didn’t budge.

  “Why did you think I was at the clubhouse earlier?” he asked.

  “I thought maybe you went there to hook-up with someone. I know the women there will sleep with anyone, or do anything you ask them to. You haven’t brought anyone home since I came here.” I shrugged. “It seemed logical you would go there to have your needs met.”

  He slid his hand back and gripped my hair, tilting my head. “Let’s get one thing straight, Little Bit. I haven’t been with a woman in more than a year.”

  I felt my eyes go wide and he smirked at me. That meant… he’d been celibate since I’d come to live here? Even though he’d said he’d felt a pull toward me, I hadn’t realized he’d given up women once I’d come here.

  “Over a year?” I asked. I had a hard time believing a guy like him had gone so long without being with a woman.

  “First time I went to the clubhouse after you came home with me, I had a club whore on her knees. The second she touched me, it felt wrong. I pushed her away. Haven’t tried to be with anyone since.”

  “I was only seventeen,” I said. “I would have never asked you to give up women. What if I’d panicked when you kissed me tonight? What if I could never give you what you want?”

  “MaryAnne, I like spending time with you. Did I like kissing you? Hell yeah! And I’d love to do more, but only at your pace and when you’re ready. Even if you’d never been able to give me more than your friendship, I’d have settled for that.”

  “You shouldn’t have to,” I said.

  He kissed me again, soft and sweet. “I’ll take whatever you can give me, Little Bit. I’m happy when I’m with you. Don’t want anyone else.”

  His words made me melt a little and I cuddled closer to him, breathing in his scent. I made him happy? I smiled, realizing that what I’d been wanting was within my reach. The man I’d been falling for liked spending time with me, had kissed me, and wanted more.

  Maybe he didn’t see me as a stray he’d brought home, like all his wounded creatures, but I adored him every bit as much as they did.

  Chapter Two

  Patriot

  I couldn’t believe I’d kissed her! Or confessed that I’d wanted her for a while. Yeah, she’d been seventeen when I brought her here, and she’d needed to do a lot of healing, but even then I’d seen the beautiful woman she’d become. I would have never touched her when she was younger. It went against everything I believed in, but I hadn’t lied about enjoying her company.

  Whistling from the corner drew my attention. I grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds and added them to Hatter’s bowl. The African Grey dove in, cracking open the seeds. “Mmm-mmm. So good.”

  I grinned at him. “You can have more later.”

  I focused on MaryAnne again. Having her in my arms was as close to heaven as I’d ever get. There was too much blood on my hands for me to ever stand before the pearly gates. I’d have to settle for having an angel in my life, the little wisp who had more power over me than she realized. I’d do anything for her. In fact, I had already. I knew there were times she felt like one of my critters. I’d seen the way she watched them and the looks she’d give me, wondering if I’d brought her home because she’d been wounded like them. Little did she know, she did have something in common with them. They were all survivors. All they needed -- fur, feathered, and human -- was a little love and a gentle touch.

  Wizard and several of his hacker friends had managed to get the institute shut down, and they’d ruined the lives of the men and women who worked there. But it hadn’t been enough for the savage beast lurking inside me. I’d wanted them to pay the ultimate price for what they’d done to my sweet MaryAnne.

  I couldn’t let her find out what I’d done. She was too good, too innocent even after all she’d suffered. There was light inside her. She’d thought she was broken, but they hadn’t managed to destroy her. MaryAnne was stronger than she realized. I’d seen it the moment I carried her from that horrible place. If she only knew…

  “You know what they did to me, what they made me do. And you still want me?” she asked, her voice nearly a whisper.

  “None of that was your fault, Little Bit. What kind of man would I be if I held any of that against you? They victimized you, MaryAnne. Hurt you. Raped you. Tried to destroy you. But here you are, in my arms.”

  “I’m sorry I caused trouble at the clubhouse tonight.”

  “You didn’t. Smoke should have kept his mouth
shut. There was no harm in Riley giving you a drink at the bar. Everyone in the club knows not to touch you.”

  I’d be having words with Smoke later. Someone should have called to tell me MaryAnne was there. I’d have sat with her while she finished her drink and we’d have come home. It wouldn’t have hurt anything for her to sit there for a bit. Unless seeing my brothers fucking the club whores would have been too much for her. She knew those women were there voluntarily, but it might have been a trigger for her.

  “You should take a shower and get some sleep,” I said.

  MaryAnne nodded but held on tighter. Maybe one day she’d be in my bed, but I didn’t see that happening yet. She’d responded to my kiss and hadn’t regretted it. That was enough for now. A step in the right direction. I’d waited over a year for her. I could wait a few months more while she got used to being mine.

  And yes, I was going to claim her. Hell, the club already knew how I felt. No one dared speak a cross word to her for fear I’d rip their spines out. I’d made it no secret she was under my protection. But more than that, they knew exactly why I’d stopped going to the clubhouse for the parties. I’d gotten some shit about it at first. It took a few months before they realized I was serious and backed off.

  I lifted her into my arms and carried her upstairs. She didn’t seem willing to release me anytime soon, but I could tell she was exhausted. I eased her down on the bed in her bedroom and helped her remove her jacket and boots. She looked so small. Defenseless. How any could have ever abused someone so sweet and innocent was beyond my comprehension. I knew evil was in the world, fought it all the damn time, but I hated that it had touched MaryAnne.

  “The smoke from the clubhouse is clinging to you, Little Bit. Go wash off and get in bed. You’ve had a long day and I can tell you’re tired.”

  She reached out her hand and I took it. “I don’t want to be alone.”

  “I’ll be down the hall like always.”

  MaryAnne shook her head. “No. That’s too far. Please… hold me for a while? I know it’s not fair to ask that of you, not when you want so much more, but I feel safe when I’m in your arms. I know you won’t let anyone hurt me.”